IN THE MILITARY

Marines drink cobra blood in jungle-survival exercise

Part of joint exercise involving 13,180 personnel from more than 20 nations

Published: 02/13/2012 at 10:56 AM

(MSNBC) U.S. Marines were shown how to kill a cobra then offered the chance to drink the snake’s blood as part of a jungle survival training course in Thailand on Monday. The training, which also featured edible bugs and at least one beheaded chicken, is part of a joint military exercise involving 13,180 personnel from more than 20 nations.

The 31st iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold is not all about emulating Charlie Sheen, though. It will also involve a computer-simulated command-post exercise, field training operations and humanitarian and civic-assistance projects, according to a U.S. Army press release.

“We are very proud of our alliance with Thailand, and our alliances and partnerships throughout Asia,” said Judith Beth Cefkin, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. “These relationships based on friendship, common goals and mutual respect makes Cobra Gold the vital and vibrant exercise it is today.”